The Flying Mystics of Tibetan Buddhism

Traditional Tibetan literature tells of Buddhist mystics who have taken off in joyful flight. Buddha himself is said to have done so on several occasions, as did Indian masters such as Nagarjuna and Padma Sambhava. The legacy was adopted by Tibetan mystics in the 8th century, with the yogini Yeshey Tsogyal as a prime example, and continued over the centuries. The 11th century yogi and poet Milarepa is another famous flyer.

This historical anecdotes in Tibetan literature and oral tradition that speak of mystics with powers of levitation and flight find their way into Tibetan art. The book features Tibetan artworks, many from the Rubin Museum collection, depicting the literary and oral legacy of levitation and flight among Tibetan mystics.

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